Our trip began as we arrived late at night in Bangkok. At 6:30am we were picked up by Good Times Travel service to take us to Kanchanaburi on a reasonably priced private tour that I had planned.
(Hint: In hindsight I would have reviewed the start times as on the last day there seemed to be a lot of waiting time when we could have been back at the hotel enjoying a well deserved rest.)
Anyway we were met by a beautiful sunny guide named %26#39;Anna%26#39; She epitomised the saying %26#39;Land Of Smiles%26#39;.
There was so much to see regarding the everyday way of life on our trip to Kanchanaburi like the usual traffic with many people on one open vehicle, a truckload of pigs, a monk on a motorcycle and a working elephant on the road. Of course we had to become accustomed to the unusual driving conditions. (Btw even by the end of our stay in Thailand I failed to overcome my nerves while the driver used his mobile phone to text during heavy traffic conditions.)
FLOATING MARKETS - Must do!!
Our first port of call was the Floating Markets. At that time of the morning the markets were very quiet which made for a very peaceful boat ride amongst the green trees and colourful stalls.
Hint: I had noted that we should get there early to avoid the crowds but this meant that we also missed out on the electric atmosphere of the markets when they are busy. Although perhaps we got to see the best of both worlds as it did get much busier towards the end of our boat ride.
We really enjoyed the floating markets and seeing the fantastic souvenirs that they had on offer. Seeing the houses and the lifestyle of the people was also a real treat. In hindsight I wish that I could have visited this market again as I was not brave enough to get into the bargaining so soon into our trip.
WOOD CARVING CENTRE - Really interesting
I had asked for no extra shops on this personal tour but this place was really good. It is a new place were many wood craftsmen were working on a wide variety of intricate projects. As an art lover I found this place really interesting. It was amazing to see what these people were able to achieve. I was pleased to see that also had a clean and airconditioned fixed price shop:)
KASEM ISLAND RESORT - Wonderful
I am really fond of this place. It has a certain magic to it. The enchantment begins with the boat ride to Kasem Island with the magnificent grand mountains in the background. It was great to walk around the place and see the gardens that were carefully tended to, watch the flow of the river as well as see the rabbits, frogs and lizards and explore the place in general especially at night when it was all lit up. I really didn%26#39;t care that the service could have been better, that there were cracks in the walls and that there were stains on the ceiling and in the shower. It was the kind of place that made you feel happy and relaxed. The buffet dinner by the river was also great. There was no stuffiness or commercialism I wish that we had stayed here longer.
FLOATING RESTAURANT - Highly recommended
This floating restaurant was located right next to the Bridge over the River Kwai. As soon as you walk down the steps and see the palms and colourful bougainvillea with elaborate Thai dancers having photos taken with a tour group I knew that this was going to be good.
The food (set menu) and drinks came very quickly and was really enjoyable. Our guide had ordered ahead and reserved a great table right on the edge with an awesome view of the Bridge over the River Kwai. The service and beauty of this place was fantastic. Hint: If you are not familiar with it look for it while you are on the Bridge over the River Kwai. It is the place where all the people are having a great lunch.
BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI - Excellent
This is a great place to visit. The colourful views, construction of the bridge and the train were just awesome let alone the mind blowing historical significance of what took place here. Walking along the bridge is one of those things that I will never forget especially the gasps of the European visitors who watched me as I nearly tripped. Hint: Watch your step. You can see the river through the floor of the bridge so you need to walk carefully but also mind the bolts that can trip you up easily. Maybe I shouldn%26#39;t have had that extra Singha before walking on the bridge!:)
WAR CEMETERY
JEATH MUSEUM
Hint: These are significant places to visit where you can feel the respect for the honoured men but make sure that you go to Hellfire Pass first to make sure that you are fully aware of the sacrifices of these men.
HELLFIRE PASS - Outstanding
If you truly want to get into touch with the war this is the place. The presentation of this centre is outstanding. They have done a magnificent job of capturing the experience of the prisoners of war as well as possible. There is a lot of information to be gained here presented in the best way possible. Visiting Hell Fire Pass is amazing and particularly poignant with the hazy smoke that was coming from the fires that burned in the hills.
TIGER TEMPLE - Awesome
Hint:We made sure that we arrived at approximately 3pm to give us time to have our encounters with the tigers and also be able to watch them walk up from the canyon and see the other animals being fed.
I was in awe of this place. It is a very calm and serene place yet I was so excited since I had looked forward to this experience for so long.
The tiger temple is very well organised and set up so the visitors can have the best experience possible in the safest way. You are whizzed around from tiger to tiger to have your photos taken very quickly but you can do this as many times as you wish.
The assistants were very skilled at knowing the right angles for the best tiger photos. In my opinion the tigers were not drugged and they certainly looked well fed. It was good to see that the construction of the new area for the tigers was definitely underway.
Hint: I had read that at about 4pm the tigers are lead back to their cage. I had no idea that during this time you could have your photo taken with the abbot whilst you take the lead of the tiger and walk him back from the canyon!! To top off this extraordinary visit we watched all the animals from the temple arrive to be fed. Unreal!
ERAWAN WATERFALL Must Do!
What a great place this is. The forest is green the water is a gorgeous shade of aqua. Each tier is beautiful in it%26#39;s own right. The steps are not nearly as bad as I had expected or maybe I was having too much fun looking out for the fantastic views of the waterfalls, watching out for monkeys, stepping over the rocks, walking over the bridges and watching the fish.
The thought of swimming is too hard to resist but be aware it does take some getting used to.
Hint: Common sense would tell you that the rocks were slippery and the water is cool and deep in places but I was too exhilarated to be mindful of such things. Just be aware.
I was having a wonderful time taking sensational photos when apparently I disturbed some ants. They attacked me with full force. It was uncomfortable but not unlike at home. I successfully tried to escape them by slipping into the water only to feel a similar sensation on my legs. This time it was the fish who nibbled on my calf. They did not tickle but gee it was great fun. Swimming and absorbing the magical sights of Erawan is a must!
ELEPHANT BATHING Highlight of our trip
We arrived at the elephant camp full of enthusiasm and looking forward to bathing our elephant and giving it the loving respect it deserves. I watched the guys have a go first. They wore life jackets as the water was understandably deep for the elephants. They stumbled onto the elephants and tried hard to balance themselves and stay on board. Out of fun the guides would instruct the elephants to suck in water and spray it over its rider. Then the elephants would dip under the water. I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard with the rest of the tourists who stayed to watch. We all laughed out loud together including the guides who obvioulsy loved their job. The guys had such a good time. It was a fantastic bonding experience for them. I still laugh out loud when I see the photos.
BAMBOO RAFTING - So glad we did it
It was like a scene from a movie. The scenery was gorgeous and the raft as it drifted down the river was so gentle and peaceful. We were invited to get in the water and swim along with the raft. Even the windy ride back on the back of the ute was great fun.
MOMCHALAI FOREST RETREAT
The room was clean. The staff were nice. However, this hotel lacked a wow factor. We were allocated a mountain view room. There was no mountain view due to the tall trees growing directly in front of our room. Even from the main area it was difficult to view the spectacular river. The garden seemed overgrown and was not up to its potential. There were many steps to get to this room. The bed was hard. There was pleasant enchanting music playing throughout the forest when we arrived but at night this turned into unharmonious western music which made it difficult to get an early nights sleep. The airconditioning was good but it may have also been responsible for the excruciating noise possibly made by the compressor that woke us up early in the morning. I wanted this hotel to be so good but sadly this hotel was lacking in many areas.
TRAIN RIDE - Amazing
As we waited for the train we took many photos of the magnificent view of the Death Railway track and we got to see the cave with the majestic golden Buddha. Hint:There is a restaurant that over looks this view called Tham Krasae Restaurant. I really wished that we had dined there for lunch. The train ride was great fun as we poked our heads out of the windows for some more fantastic photos. This is something that we would never dare to do at home:) This was a brilliant way to end our time in Kanchanaburi as it was time to head back to Bangkok where I will resume this JBR on the Bangkok forum.
JBR - I love Thailand!
thanks for a great report.. we are gong in May and I am looking forward to it even more now.
JBR - I love Thailand!
Thanks for 3 wonderful reports, brings back warm memories of our two visits so far , will be three visits when we go back in November. We have done most of the things you did except the floating markets which we will do next trip, we just seem to run out of time each visit of eight days in Bangkok before heading to Phuket for fourteen days, there is just so much to see in Thailand.
Smedles
A brilliant report, thank you! I%26#39;m going to Bangkok in early April with my family (2 kids ages 9 %26amp; 11) and have a couple of questions for you if you don%26#39;t mind:
First, how long did you stay in Kanchanaburi? There is lots in this report, and I%26#39;m trying to work out what is possible in just one (long) day out of Bangkok..
We have a day booked with Tong to leave early from Bangkok to go to the floating market early just as you did, then move on to some of these experiences you mention. Definitely doing the Tiger Tour (so that%26#39;s the afternoon time) but I%26#39;d also love to do some rafting and/or something elephant-like! My kids are 9 and 11 and so would love either of those. Finally, fit in lunch somewhere at the Bridge over River Kwai....
That all sounds too much, so from your experience how much of that is possible? We go back to Bangkok at the end of the day.
I would love to have gone to Erewan but appreciate it%26#39;s too far to go and spend any time - so that can wait for a future trip.
Now back to your Bangkok JBR to plan based on that!. The Loy Naya sounds great and the post about the menus on their website will help no end in deciding about kids suitability.
Regards
John
Wow, I nearly missed this report, its great, especially for people who have never been before. Sounds like you had a fantastic holiday.
Cathy
Wow, I nearly missed this report, its great, especially for people who have never been before. Sounds like you had a fantastic holiday.
Cathy
Awsome report. Thanks for all the info. I plan to do just about everything you did so this report was great.
Getting more and more excited about my tip in May.
This is 1 of the most informative reports i have read on this forum.Thanks so much.
Was already doing this tour in june-
would love to know approximate price and who you went through as i have seen some prices and seemed a bit xy.
Although i can see there is a lot involved!
Thanks again Nat
Nat, Smedles says he did the tour through good Times Travel.
www.good-times-travel.com
They are the tour operator at the guesthouse we are staying in in Kan, Ploy guesthouse. I have contacted them and they got back to me within 12 hours. They have a range of tours on their website, because we are limited for time we are doing a taxi/guide for the day so we can see what we want. They do tours from bangkok, transfer/tours straight from airport and will tailor make a tour to suit you.
We are using them on the 16th May so can let you know if you haven%26#39;t already gone!
Chez
That would be great I hope you have a fantastic time !
Thanks Nat
THANK YOU to everyone who replied. I am really pleased to see that others are also benefiting from our amazing trip.
We went to Kanchanaburi for 3 days/ two nights. We went with Good Times Travel Service. They were able to take us on a tour that I had planned so we didn%26#39;t have to waste time on places that didn%26#39;t suit us.
It cost us 8,800baht each for the three of us which is the same price that it would have cost us if we had done it on our own but without the perks of a guide. By perks I mean that our guide, Anna made our trip soooo much more enjoyable. She accompanied us on all the places we visited which gave us greater insight and sorted out our food which I learned was VERY important! Without her I would have felt lost.
HINT:There is a BIG difference between a driver and a guide. It was great to see that she took the time and joined us for our dinners. She was a really nice person so we wouldn%26#39;t have had it any other way. She was definitely not intrusive.
Now for the big question regarding Kanchanaburi in ONE day. Hmmm. Before I go on I must say that I was totally delighted to be in Thailand and didn%26#39;t really understand the distances we traveled because we were so entertained by the sights that we saw along the way. So it would be wise to consult a professional (including other forum members) to estimate the time it takes to get to each place.
From my understanding you can see the Tiger Temple and the River Kwai in one day but I cannot recommend Kanchanaburi for one day because there are TWO must do activities!! The first being the Tiger Temple at 3pm and the second being the train ride :) which happens at about 1pm.
It would have been a very different trip if we hadn%26#39;t had at least two full days. The second day also gives you an opportunity to go to the Erawan waterfall which is a MUST. It is a long day but the memories last a lifetime.
I would trade a spare day shopping in Bangkok for an extra day in Kanchanaburi in a heart beat. Take time to go and see the elephants (even if you don%26#39;t have kids) and the Erawan waterfall! If you have already booked accommodation in Bangkok leave most of your luggage there and spend a little extra to spend an extra day at Kanchanaburi. It is definitely worth it.
I wrote a review on Good Times Travel Service on the post currently below this one. But I%26#39;ll post it here.
We just got back from a trip with Good Times Travel Service. Overall we were very happy with them. They were able to offer us a personal custom tour.There was good communication via emails and they offered a good price. They were also reliable and did a good job of getting us to the places that we wanted to go. They also did a superb job of calling ahead to reserve our lunch and dinners which meant that the best food came quickly and we were given some of the best tables. Our guide%26#39;s name was ';Anna';. She had a very sunny personality and made you feel at ease so you we enjoy our holiday.
If I were to do it again I would use Good Times Travel but I would review the start times and confirm the return time. On the last day we could have left later so we didn%26#39;t have to wait around for lunch and for some reason we also had to wait for a driver to return us to Bangkok. This time could have been put to better use. Also if you do a custom tour research the places you want to visit thoroughly. A couple of times I had requested that we do a couple of specific activities only to be told that they were unable to do them. In one instance I contacted the person directly and we could have done the activity. But this could happen with any company who does not use these services or do these activities regularly.
These are small things but they should be noted.
The bottom line we had a great time and we would use them again.
Have a fantastic holiday!
Smedles
No comments:
Post a Comment